Airship



Jgly 12, 1949.

J. L. JORDAN- 2,475,786

AIRSHIP Filed Dec. 22, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 l ATT RNEY July 12, 1949. J, JORDAN 2,475,786

7 AIRSHIP FiledDec. 22, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet? ATTRNEY July 12, 1949. 7

- J. L. JORDAN 2,475,786

AIRSHIP Filed Dec. 22, 1945 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 @7071 Z Jfiamv INVENTOR BY r v 1,. 1 4% AT RNEY Patented July 12, 1949 UNITED STATES P 'iENT OFFICE AIRSHIP John L. Jordan, New York, N. Y. Application December 22, 1945, Serial No. 636,909

4 Claims.

The invention herein disclosed relates to aircraft of the lighter than air type.

Objects of the invention broadly are to improve the structural, propulsive and maneuverability characteristics of such craft.

Particularly it is a purpose of the invention to combine structure required for strength and stability with propulsion and maneuvering functions and thus to keep down weight without sacrificing strength or other essentials.

Special objects are to reduce drag and attain high speed with efiicient and economical utilization of power.

Further special objects are to provide an airship having the characteristics indicated which will be thoroughly practical and economical both in the building and in the actual operation of the same.

Other desirable objects and the important novel features by which the purposes of the invention are attained are set forth Or will appear in the course of the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrate a present preferred embodiment and certain of the possible modifications of the invention. Structure, however, may be further modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and broad scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. l in the drawings is a side elevation of an airship embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a broken longitudinal sectional view of the ship;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken sectional detail as on generally the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2 illustrating details of control;

, Fig. 4 is a generally similar view illustrating a modified form of swiveled control duct.

Fig. 1 illustrates one of the main features of the invention, the fact that the airship hull 7 may be constructed completely streamlined and practically free of drag creating protuberances or encumbrances. In this view the control cabin 8 is housed entirely within the hull. Horizontal and vertical stabilizing fins are indicated at 9 and I0 and these, while generally desirable, may be reduced or possibly some or all eliminated in view of the inherently stable flight control characteristics of the ship.

Built-in central propulsion and control facilities are incorporated within the body of the craft comprising, as shown in Fig. 2, a central tubular spar made up of sequentially disposed Venturi tube sections ll, I2, I3, I 4 and I5, with an angu- 2 larly controllable intake It at the bow end and an angularly controllable discharge I! at the stem end.

This central Venturi tube sectioned tube provides the spinal structure or backbone of the craft, affording a maximum of strength to weight involved and forms an efficient propulsion conduit or tunnel for a series of propulsion devices disposed in the entrance ends of the several Venturi tubes.

In the illustration each propulsion unit comprises a pair of reversely rotating propellers I 8 carried by a supporting standard l9 at the center of the tube and driven by gearing extended downward through the standard at 2!] to an engine 2! mounted below the tube in an external corridor,

. engine room or passageway 22.

The contra rotating propellers balance out residual torque and they may be of the variable pitch, feathering and reverse pitch types to provide all the advantages of forward drive, coasting and braking or reverse drive. Also, the propellers of the successive units may be pitched, automatically, arbitrarily or otherwise, to accept and pass on the slipstream from one unit to the next. Successive acceleration also may be governed and controlled by regulation of the different engine speeds.

Another feature in the control and utilization of accelerated flow is the design of the successive Venturi tubes, as to cross sectional dimensions, length of one in respect to another, and the like. With proper control of these factors the several Venturi tubes may be generally alike, substantially as indicated in Fig. 2, or they may be graduated from one end toward the other to take in the full supply of air which the units will transmit, with successive compression and expansion created in the series of Venturi tubes.

The intake and discharge sections l6, I1, are shown as mounted in universally adjustable relation in the equivalent of ball sockets 23, 24. With adjustment of these sections in various angular relations, the bow and stern ends may be subjected to lifting, lowering, yawing and rolling effects to accomplish rising and lowering movements, with or without fore and aft travel, steering, balancing and other movements.

In Fig. 2 the forward or intake section is turned upwardly and the aft or discharge section is turned downwardly to effect lifting at both bow and stern. With proper adjustments and control these movements may be accomplished with a minimum or possibly without fore and aft travel.

Lateral bodily movements may be accomplished by appropriate adjustment of the same general order. With both sections pointed in the same direction, the ship may be trimmed to hold it on an even keel or to point it up or down. Steering, balancing and other movements may be efiected by proper adjustments of the intake and discharge sections and the controls for these members may be coupled together so. as to operate in unison, or they may be operated at times partly in coupled and partly in independent relation.

The means for effecting adjustment of the control sections may vary, according to requirements. In Fig. 3 a simple form of control mechanism is illustrated comprising one set of cables 25 connected at 26, 21, with opposite sides ofthe swiveled tube section I6 turn this section laterally, and a second set of cables 29 connected at 30, 3|, to the top and bottom of the section and operable by vertically shiftable lever 32 to turn the tube section upwardly or downwardly.

tions may be mounted-and constructed in various ways.

Thus, as shown in-Fig. 4, the tube sections may be made up in two, three'or more segments such as indicated at 33, 34, swiveled or rocking one within another. In such a construction each segment would have only a limited movement but the total movement of all the segments would be sufiicient to accomplish the necessary control purposes.

The central tube may be made up in sections more or-less corresponding to the length of each Venturi tube passage. The transverse frames may be more or less circular in shape, connected with the central spar and suitably braced and tensioned' to utilize to best advantage the'inherent strength and stability ofthis central tubular member.

The various portions of the ship may be made up in units in difierent locations and then assembled at a point best, suited for such purposes.

The intake and discharge ends of the propul sion tube may be suitably screened and these-may beequipped with heating elements to prevent snow or sleet entering or forming in the tube. Thevarious controls also may be protected against freezing or sticking.

While the angularly adjustable-tube sections may provide sufiicient control, it is contemplated that if necessary or desirable, rudder, elevator and other such control surfaces may be employed; While in some instances referred to as the central tubular spar, it is realized that this tubular member may not and need not necessarily always be centrally located, this depending more or less upon the particular design of the ship.

The Venturi tube passages provide for maxiand operable by lever 28 to The swiveled or universally adjustable tube sec-- mum intake and acceleration of air and smooth til out this flow of air to a minimum of turbulence. The dual contra rotating propellers prevent rotational efiects in this air flow. Also, there may be only one or any number of Venturi tubes and there may be only a single power plant or any number of power units.

What is claimed is:

1. An airship comprising a hull having a passage therethrough composed of a succession of Venturi tubes and propulsion means within said passage at the entrance ends of said Venturi tubes said propulsion means being on the axis of the passage.

2. An airship having a central tubular spar open at opposite ends, said spar extending throughout the length of said aircraft and formed from successive Venturi, reversely rotating propellers operating in said tubular spar on the axis of the spar and located at the entrance of each Venturi, an engine mounted below said tubular spar and driving connections extending from said engine to said reversely rotating propellers.

3. An airship comprising, a hull having a passage therethrough. composed of a succession, of Venturi tubes and propulsion means within said passage at the entrance ends of eachof. said Venturi tubes, angularly adjustable tubular sections at the opposite ends of said passageway andmeans for effecting angular adjustments of said tubular end sections, said venturis and propulsion means having a common axis.

4. An airship having. a. series of. Venturi tube passages extending therethrough and propulsion means in said. Venturi tube passages and angularly adjustable intake and discharge tube sections at the opposite ends of said series of Venturi tube passages,. all of said elements being on the same axis.

JOHN L. JORDAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following referemces are of; record in the file. of. this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 918,336 Lake Apr. 13, 1909 1,835,260 Barrera Dec. 8, 1931 1,854,365 Berry Apr. 19, 1932 1,873,505 Stipa Aug. 23, 1932 2,384,893 Crook Sept. 18, 1945 2,399,839. Vorse May '7, 1946 2,404,954 Godsey July 30, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 13,959 Great Britain 1911 22,844 Great Britain 1910 139,201 Germany Mar. 20, 1903 403,132 France Sept. 17, 1909' 648,878 Germany Aug. 11, 1937. 

